Tuesday, April 26, 2011

SPEAKING OF GOOD THINGS

On April 22nd, I questioned the validity of calling the day of Christ's death "good" (Friday). Today, I want to tell you what I think is "good." I believe that the Resurrection of Christ is really "good!" First of all, it was "good" for Him, because He had completed His mission; Jesus had paid for the sin of the world (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1 Jn. 1:22). It was "good" for Him because He had proven His prophetic claim that He would be raised from the dead in three days (Matt. 12:39-41; Jn. 2:18-22; Acts 2:27-32; 13:30-37). It was "good" for Him because He has returned to His rightful place at the Father's right hand (Matt. 22:44; 26:64; Mk. 16:19; Acts 2:33-34; 7:56; Rom. 8:34; Eph. 1:20; Gal. 3:1; Heb. 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22). Yes, for Jesus, the Resurrection was "very good."

His Resurrection was "good" for born-again Christians, because in Him, we have been given our new life. The Word says that we who were once dead (spiritually), He has made alive in Him (Rom. 6:4-5; Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:12-13). Adam did die the instant he partook of the forbidden fruit; he died spiritually (Gen.2:15), and because we inherited Adam's nature, we, being born spiritually dead, needed to be spiritually born again (Jn. 3:3-8; 1 Cor. 1:22). The Apostle Paul made it very clear when he wrote, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" (1 Cor. 15:22). Yes, for the born-again Christian, the Resurrection was a "very good" thing!

The Resurrection of Christ is so important that unless one believes it occurred, he or she cannot be saved. Paul wrote: "But what saith it? The Word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the Word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:8-10). The "Word of faith" is the Gospel which declares that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:1-4). It is the Gospel that is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). Yes, the offer of salvation through the finished work of Christ is a "good thing."

However, to those who do not accept the free gift of salvation through faith (Eph. 2:8-9), who do not believe in the Resurrection, one day they will look back on the event as "the nail that sealed their coffin" (Jn. 16:7-11). Without faith in the Resurrection, man remains dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1; Col. 2:13), and one day, their knees will bow before the resurrected One they refused to accept (Rom. 14:10). Yes, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is "good" to those who believe, but to Satan and all of those he has deceived, it will be anything but "good news." Nevertheless, Jesus is risen indeed! Praise God!